ALEX Learning Activity

Students will utilize new academic, content-specific, grade-level vocabulary including seeds, germination, roots and stems, leaves, flowers, and pollination to make connections to the life cycle of a plant. The students will use grade-level text to determine the meaning and order of each step of the plant life cycle. Students will independently create a plant life cycle wheel by ordering the steps of the life cycle of a plant, defining each word in their own words, and creating an illustration. 

This learning activity was created as a result of the ALEX - Alabama Virtual Library (AVL) Resource Development Summit.

Students will be able to utilize new academic, content-specific, grade-level vocabulary to make connections to previously learned words about the life cycle of a plant by ordering, drawing, and explaining each step of the life cycle: seeds, germination, roots and stems, leaves, flowers, and pollination. 

1. The students will read Flowering Plants with a partner. The teacher may choose to use the online version or provide students with a paper copy of the text. The students will highlight the following words in the text: seeds, germination, roots and stems, leaves, flowers, and pollination. If the students read the online version, they may select the words and highlight them. If students read a paper copy of the text, they will use a highlighter.
2. The students will order the words to demonstrate their understanding of plant life cycles with a partner. The teacher may review the order whole group and/or write the order of the words on the board/chart paper.

3. The students will independently create a plant life cycle wheel by incorporating the following words: seeds, germination, roots and stems, leaves, flowers, and pollination. The students will order the words to demonstrate the life cycle of a plant and draw a picture of each stage.

4. Once students have highlighted the words in the text and ordered them, the teacher will provide directions to create a plant life cycle wheel. The students will complete this activity independently to demonstrate their understanding of grade-level, content-specific vocabulary. The teacher may choose to show the students an assembled wheel to provide them with a visual.

5. First, the students will cut out both circles. The students will use the circle that is divided into 6 parts to label the steps of a plant life cycle with the following vocabulary words: seeds, germination, roots and stems, leaves, flowers, and pollination. The students will write a short definition for each vocabulary word in their own words, approximately three words. Next, the students will draw a picture to represent each step of the life cycle of a plant. Once the students are finished representing each step with an illustration, they may color the first circle. The students will need teacher assistance poking a hole in the center of both circles and attaching the front circle to the back circle with a brass paper fastener. The students will start at 1 and spin clockwise to view each step in order. 

The teacher will assess each student’s completed plant life cycle wheel to ensure the following:

• • The student has an accurate representation of the life cycle of a flowering plant. 
  • The student appropriately used new academic, content-specific vocabulary on the plant life cycle wheel.

Approximate duration of the learning activity: 16-30 minutes

Teacher Materials and Resources

Interactive whiteboard and computer with internet access

Flowering Plants Level 2 Text (project if using digital copy) 

Flowering Plants Level 1 Text (one copy for the teacher during small group intervention) 

Print the Life Cycle of a Plant Wheel pages on cardstock. The students will need both pages: the cover page circle and circle divided into 6 parts

Brass paper fastener (one for each student)

Optional: a pre-made life cycle wheel as a model for students

Student Materials and Resources

computer (if using the digital version of the text)

crayons/markers

scissors

pencil

Flowering Plants Level 2 Text (one copy per student if using a printed copy of the text) 

Flowering Plants Level 1 Text (one copy per student during small group intervention if using a printed copy of the text) 

Print and cut out pictures with labels to use during intervention

The background knowledge and advanced preparation required for the learning activity:

• Students should have a basic understanding of life cycles (there are multiple stages). Students may complete Parts 1 and 2 of Planting Vocabulary Knowledge before completing Part 3. During the "before" lesson in Part 1, students are introduced to vocabulary associated with the life cycle of a plant and build on their background knowledge to gain a deeper understanding of plant life cycles. In Part 2, students make deeper connections to a plant life cycle by creating definitions based on their background knowledge. 
• Teachers should read both Level 1 and Level 2 texts to become familiar with the keywords in the context of the text. The teacher needs to print a copy of the Level 1 and Level 2 texts if the printed version will be used during the lesson. The Level 2 text is on grade level and the Level 1 text may be used during intervention. 
• The teacher should make copies of The Life Cycle of a Plant Wheel on cardstock for each student. 
• The teacher should consider making a model of the wheel to show students. 

Acceleration:

Write a short skit: The students will create a short skit to demonstrate the stages of a flowering plant. If more than one student is finished, assign each student a role, such as a seed, sprout, flower, or fruit. The students will write dialogue for each stage and the changes that occur.

Intervention: 

The teacher will provide intervention based on teacher observations during the partner activity and/or class discussion to order the stages of the life cycle of a plant. The teacher will work with students in small groups to review the vocabulary and stages of a life cycle of a plant. The teacher will use Flowering Plants Level 1 text to review the words seed, roots, leaves, flowers, and pollination to build on student background knowledge. The students will use pictures with labels to place them in order.

Interdisciplinary Connection(s) course of study standards

SC15.3.6  Create representations to explain the unique and diverse life cycles of organisms other than humans (e.g., flowering plants, frogs, butterflies), including commonalities such as birth, growth, reproduction, and death.

This lesson should be used in conjunction with Planting Vocabulary Knowledge Part 1 (before activity) and Planting Vocabulary Knowledge Part 2 (during activity).